Kentucky AG says county public funds can support school resource officers at private schools

Kentucky Attorney General Russel Coleman said in a written legal opinion that public, county-funded programs may be used to support the placement of school resource officers at private schools. The conclusion, published earlier this month, responded to a request from Boone County Attorney Jordan Turner amid consideration of a plan by the county fiscal court.

The question before the county focused on whether county funding could be directed toward school resource officer services provided to private schools, rather than only public school districts. In the opinion, Coleman said the arrangement is constitutional, according to the Kentucky Lantern, which reported on the contents and context of the attorney general’s determination.

Coleman’s office was asked to weigh how state constitutional and legal requirements apply when public dollars would be used in connection with private school students and facilities. The opinion was sought as Boone County officials considered whether to move forward with the proposed approach, the report said.

The Boone County request came from Turner, whose role includes serving as the county’s legal counsel. The Kentucky Lantern reported that the fiscal court was considering the proposal, and that Turner sought guidance before the county would commit public funds to the program.

School resource officers are typically law enforcement personnel assigned to schools to help with campus safety, criminal incident response, and prevention-oriented engagement. The legal question in Boone County centers on how that public-safety function can be structured and funded when private schools are the receiving institutions.

While the attorney general’s opinion concluded that the proposed use of county funding would be constitutionally permissible, the Lantern report framed the broader issue as one of public accountability and legal boundaries for taxpayer-supported programs. The opinion provides a state-level legal basis for a county to proceed, but it does not by itself describe whether any specific contract or budget line has been approved.

After Coleman’s ruling, Boone County’s fiscal court may have clearer authority to consider implementing the plan as discussed, subject to local budgeting and procurement steps required under county policy and state law. The Kentucky Lantern report did not indicate that the county has finalized its decision, and the next phase would depend on the fiscal court’s vote and any associated administrative actions.